Does vaginal surgery for correction of pelvic organ prolapse improve urinary function? A prospective cohort study.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: Pelvic organ prolapse (POP) is caused by an imbalance in the stability of the pelvic organs, resulting in loss of support. The most common types of POP, anterior and apical, are associated with lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) such as bladder outlet obstruction and detrusor overactivity (DO). Vaginal surgery may improve LUTS and overall urinary symptoms. We assessed urodynamic (UD) parameters and urinary symptoms before and after vaginal surgery for POP correction.

METHODS: A prospective cohort of 59 women with symptomatic anterior and/or apical POP associated with urinary symptoms and with indications for vaginal surgery were included. POP surgeries included anterior colporrhaphy and vaginal hysterectomy with culdoplasty (VH) and with/without concomitant posterior colporrhaphy and mid-urethral sling (MUS). All participants underwent UD evaluation and answered urinary symptom questionnaires pre- and 3 months post-surgery.

RESULTS: Anterior colporrhaphy was performed in all patients: 45.7% with associated VH and 54.2% with concomitant MUS. Preoperative ICIQ-OAB score >8 points was significantly associated with DO (p<0.02) and decreased after surgery (9±4.3 to 3.2±3.0, p<0.001). All other questionnaires demonstrated improvements in urinary symptoms. Stress urinary incontinence rate decreased from 59.6% to 21% (p<0.001). Post-void residual (PVR) volume and Valsalva maneuver also decreased (p<0.001).

CONCLUSIONS: Pelvic organ prolapse surgery reduced the prevalence of urgency symptoms, and all questionnaires on urinary symptoms showed clinically significant improvement. Vaginal surgery for POP, even combined with MUS, significantly reduced PVR volume and improved urgency symptoms.